The thesis re-examines the life, character, and interests of Fanny Brawne. Brawne is a known historical figure as a result of her connection with the English Romantic poet, John Keats, whose life has been studied closely. Previous research has considered Brawne in the context of her relationship to Keats, rather a brief and early period in her entire life.
In 1934, Brawne’s family donated her collection of fashion and costume plates, and other plates, to Keats House, in London. These plates were gathered together into two volumes, entitled “Fanny Brawne’s Costume Plate Book” and “Fanny Brawne’s Scrapbook.” Both volumes are now housed at The London Metropolitan Archives, along with three hand-worked items made by Brawne. These artifacts and other primary sources help document Brawne’s life-long interest in all aspects of fashion. Brawne’s interest in fashion is a focal point of this analysis, and forms a major part of this study.
Many of the plates Brawne collected originated in magazines. This thesis examines the ways in which, as a regular reader, Fanny Brawne embodied models of femininity presented in these publications. The collections and artifacts are analyzed as a means of understanding both Fanny Brawne herself, and the larger culture in which she lived. Brawne emerges from this study as an accomplished, fashion-conscious woman of the British middle-class, whose hobbies and interests are very much in line with those of other women of her class and time.